This invention relates generally to scoops and molds for making edible novelties, and more particularly to an apparatus for scooping a moldable comestible, such as ice cream, directly into a mold, and ejecting the thus-molded comestible.
Although there are available devices for making ice cream novelties of the type where a formed quantity of ice cream is supported on a stick (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,730), there is not available a simple and economical system for making edible novelties of a type similar to an ice cream sandwich. A primary difficulty is in making a novelty formed of a relatively hard but moldable primary comestible, such as hard ice cream, which must be formed so as to be placeable on a secondary comestible, such as a brittle cookie. In making such an edible novelty, the forces which are applied to the hard ice cream to mold and pack it to form an ice cream sandwich are generally sufficient to shatter the cookie. Thus, there is a need for a system whereby an edible novelty, such as an ice cream sandwich formed of hard ice cream interposed between other comestibles, such as cookies, can be formed easily and inexpensively, and in a short period of time.
The need for such an arrangement is particularly acute in environments such as households and ice cream stores where several flavors of hard ice cream may be available, but one can not predetermine the particular flavor of ice cream which will be desired at any given time. In such an environment, if the ice cream sandwich is desired to be made using a soft or baked secondary comestible, the forces required to pack the ice cream, as the primary comestible, on the secondary comestible, which may be a cookie, will distort, shatter, or otherwise damage the cookie. Of course, if one uses a soft ice cream, such as custard, or partially hard ice cream, the need for high packing and forming forces is obviated. However, the novelty will then be difficult to consume since the ice cream will be extruded out from between the secondary comestibles when bitten. Accordingly, one known method for forming such sandwiches utilizes a soft or softened ice cream which, after the sandwich is formed, is refrozen. It is a problem with this approach, however, that refrigerated storage space must be maintained in addition to that required for the base inventory of ice cream, and the novelties will be available only in predetermined flavors and quantities.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,877,935 describes an ice cream dipper which is suitable for removing measured quantities of ice cream from a freezer and molding it into discs. The discs are intended to be served in paper boxes with wooden spoons. However, the disc which is formed by this known device is not suitable for certain ice cream novelties, such as ice cream sandwiches, where the dip is desired to have substantially flat sides where it joins other comestibles, such as baked members, or cookies. This results from the fact that the known device would require smoothing of the open disc face, such as by a doctor blade. This subsequent preparation of the disc face would render the known device to be difficult in use, particularly since the doctor blade would have to be used in the area of the supply of ice cream so that the skimmed excess can be returned thereto.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus for molding and dispensing ice cream.
It is also an object of this invention to provide an arrangement for making edible novelties formed of a hard, formable primary comestible in combination with a secondary comestible which may be soft, brittle, or shatterable.
It is another object of this invention to provide an arrangement for making edible novelties which is easily cleaned.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an arrangement for making an edible novelty wherein forces required in forming a primary comestible of the novelty to a predetermined shape are not applied to a secondary comestible.
It is additionally an object of this invention to provide an arrangement for forming an edible novelty formed of primary and secondary comestibles, the comestibles having predetermined dimensions and configurations.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for accumulating, molding, and dispensing a moldable comestible while requiring the use of only one hand.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide an arrangement for molding a moldable comestible to a shape having substantially planar opposed sides.